KOLKATA: Tamaghna Sengupta, a Kolkata-based software professional, was very disappointed with the taste of the hilsa fish that he had bought last Sunday for his family. "The fish looked like hilsa but the taste was completely different. I bought the fish at 450 per kg," said Sengupta.

Far away in Vashi, Mumbai, the 46-year-old Atanu Bhattacharya shared Sengupta's feeling though he had to shell out a little more for his favourite fish.

What the two men tasted was the 'chakori' fish that traders have started importing from Dubai and the UAE for the first time because hilsa supplies have fallen. Described as 'poor man's hilsa', the fish looks like hilsa but tastes differently. And going by the present trend of poor hilsa availability, millions of Bengalis and others may have to settle for 'chakori' this season.

Prices of quality hilsa have skyrocketed to 1,400 per kg in Kolkata markets. Syed Anwar Maqsood, secretary, West Bengal Fish Importers Association, said: "Bangladesh has banned exports of hilsa. And the availability of hilsa in the estuaries of Sagar island near Sunderbans as well as in the Hooghly river is very low. So we have started importing chakori from West Asian countries as there is a demand for hilsa in the market."

Priced at 350-450 per kg, nearly 30 tonne of chakori fish has entered Bengal and another 60 tonnes will arrive in a week. "Fish traders from Bengal supply hilsa to Mumbai and Delhi. Since there is a scarcity in hilsa in Bengal, it will be difficult for us to supply it to these metros," said Maqsood.

Mumbai and Delhi also receive hilsa from Gujarat as well but supplies have waned by 30-40% this year. "There has been a decline in hilsa supply this year. Moreover, the government has put a ban on fishing from May 30 to September. Therefore, the supply of hilsa has automatically come down. Availability also gone down in Narmada and Tapti rivers as well," said Kishanbhai Fofandi, owner of Gujarat-based Shiv Ganga Marine Products.

Much like the salmon of North America, the hilsa enters rivers from seas, swims upstream hundreds of kilometres and spawn. Then it returns to its salty abode. During this migration, fishermen catch them and supply to local markets.

Hilsa production in India has decreased from 80,000 tonne in 2001 to 10,000 tonne in 2013. Hilsa expert Utpal Bhowmick said three factors generally lead to a good catch. "The easterly wind is a major factor for fishing. Also important is a "flood pulse" or the flow of water. And the depth of the water and the temperature are key factors. At this moment, these factors are conducive for good hilsa availability this year. We may expect 30,000 tonnes of hilsa production this year," he said.